JAMES P. RANSOM III, Adjunct Professor of Strategy and War for the US Naval War College Strategy, holds degrees from the US Naval War College (MA, 2001) and US Naval Academy (BS, 1980). He serves as a Fleet Professor teaching post-graduate students in the Naval War College’s Fleet Seminar Program at Mayport, Florida. He served as a career submarine officer, serving on three submarines before commanding USS Miami, participating in strike operations against Iraq and Serbia. Miami’s crew was awarded the Battenberg Cup as best ship in the US Atlantic Fleet for 1999, and Jim was awarded the Bronze Star. He also commanded Regional Support Group Groton, and was Chief of Staff for Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. After retiring from the Navy as a Captain, he worked on nuclear power research and development for AREVA in Lynchburg Virginia, 2010-2017. He served on the Board of Directors of the Bedford Virginia based National D-Day Memorial 2014-2020, responsible for strategic vision and guiding the next phase of the Memorial’s growth. He is a member of the Society for Military History, the Navy League of the United States, the U.S. Naval Institute, the Naval Submarine League, the U.S. Submarine Veterans, and the Military Order of the World Wars.
HOMEPORT: Jacksonville, Florida
AREAS OF EXPERTISE: He researches and has published on the performance and experiences of U. S. Asiatic Fleet submarines stationed in the Far East at the start of World War II. He is working on a book project on these submarines in the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies campaign, 1941-1942. Other interests include the American Revolution; World War I and World War II naval history; submarine warfare, design, and doctrine; and 20th Century military history.
NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS:
“Fateful Encounter: USS S-38 and the Sinking of the Hydra II,” Naval History, February 2023.
“U.S. Asiatic Fleet Submarines 1941-42: An Evaluation of Senior Leadership,” International Journal of Naval History, Vol. 17, Issue #1, December 2022.
“USS Stingray: Inauspicious Start; Strong Finish.” The Submarine Review, March 2022.
“Bleak December: U.S. Asiatic Fleet Submarines in the Defense of the Philippines, 1941.” Naval History, Vol. 35 No. 6, December 2021.
PRESENTATIONS:
“The Russo-Japanese War,” Naval War College (NWC) Fleet Seminar Program, January 2026
“USS Miami Deployment with Enterprise Strike Group, Operations Desert Fox and Allied Force, and the Outlook for Future Sub Operations,” Naval War College Foundation Jacksonville Chapter, October 2025
“Submarine Involvement in Operation Midnight Hammer,” Naval War College Foundation Jacksonville Chapter, September 2025
“Masters of War, Military Theorists,” NWC Fleet Seminar Program, September 2025
“US Asiatic Fleet Submarines, 1941-42: Frustration, Retreat, and Fate,” StoneRidge Senior Living, Stonington CT, August 2025
“10/12/13 Submarine Books Every Submariner Should Read,” SubVets, July 2025
“Reflections on Pearl Harbor (By a ‘Hawaiian’ Kid Who Grew Old),” Orlando Chapter, DAR, December 2024
“Sea Dogs and Sailormen: The US Navy Experience at D-Day,” National D-Day Memorial Lunchbox Lecture, October 2025
“Submarine Legends: U.S. Asiatic Fleet Submarine Tenders,” SubVets, June 2024
“D-Day at 80,” Florida State DAR annual conference, Orlando, FL, March 2024
“Submarine Legend: VADM Charles A. Lockwood (“Uncle Charlie”),” SubVets, March 2024
“World War II in the Pacific,” NWC Fleet Seminar Program, February 2024
“World War II in Europe, NWC Fleet Seminar Program, February 2024
“Heroes of Pearl Harbor (and Nimitz!),” Naval Order of the US, First Coast Commandery, December 2023
“USS Sailfish Diary, December 1941, RM1 R. E. “Doc” Doritty,” SubVets July 2023
“Citizenship: Rights & Responsibilities of a Free Society,” Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW), Northeast Florida Chapter Youth Leadership Seminar (YLS), April 2023
“Our American Heritage,” MOWW YLS, April 2023
“S-36 at War: Real Submarining,” SubVets, February 2023
“Pearl Harbor: What’s Missing from this Picture,” National D-Day Memorial Lunchbox Lecture, December 2022
“The Red-Headed Stepchild: USS Searaven,” SubVets, August 2022
“D-Day and Remembrance,” We Can Be Heroes Benefit Luncheon, Jacksonville FL, June 2022
“Submarine Research Rabbit Holes, Or How I Spent my 64th Birthday,” SubVets, March 2022
“Wartime Presidents,” Fleet Landing Military Officer Association of America, February 2022
“Pearl Harbor at 80,” Jacksonville Council, Navy League of the US, December 2021
“A Bubblehead Joins the Carrier Strike Group: Operations Desert Fox to Allied Force, 1998-99,” Association of Naval Aviators, Jacksonville FL, November 2021
“Local Military History: Florida and the American Revolution,” Northeast FL Chapter, MOWW, November 2021
"U.S. Asiatic Fleet Submarines 1941-42: An Evaluation of Senior Leadership,” US Naval Academy McMullen Naval History Symposium, September 2021
“USS Archerfish and Shinano,” SubVets, August 2021
USS S-38: First Blood,” SubVets, March 2021
“More than Pearl Harbor: The Opening Day of WW2 in the Pacific,” Florida State DAR annual conference, Orlando, March 2021
“USS Swordfish: First US Submarine Rockstar of WW2,” SubVets, March 2021
“The Gulf War: Showdown with Iraq, 1990-98,” NWC Fleet Seminar Program, February 2020
“U.S. Submarines Go to War, 1941,” Jean Ribault Chapter, DAR, February 2020
“World War I,” NWC Fleet Seminar Program, December 2019
“Remembering the Heroes of D-Day,” City of St Augustine, Veterans Day Ceremony, November 2019
“USS Forrestal: A Vital Link in the Chain,” USS Forrestal Reunion, Naval Station Mayport, October 2019
“D-Day + 75 Years: Tin Cans off Normandy,” Tin Can Sailor Association, Naval Station Mayport, October 2019
“Revisiting Asiatic Fleet Submarine Performance,” McMullen Naval History Symposium, September 2019
“D-Day & the National D-Day Memorial,” SubVets, June 2019
“D-Day 75th,” speak & introduce Vice President Pence, National D-Day Memorial, June 2019
”USNA D-Day Plaque Dedication,” National D-Day Memorial, USNA Class of ’69, June 2019
“Hollywood and Submarine Movies,” SubVets, September 2018
“Crucible of Frustration: Hollywood Depicts WW2 Submarines,” WW2 in Film Conference, Liberty University and National D-Day Memorial, June 2018
“Naval Aspects of Operation Neptune,” National D-Day Memorial monthly lecture, January 2018
“Pearl Harbor: 75 Years Later,” National D-Day Memorial monthly lecture, February 2017
“Battle of the Atlantic,” National D-Day Memorial monthly lecture, January 2016